To Confuse a Marauder
by maraudersinthetardis
Summary: Life as Lily Evans is complicated. There's never a dull moment with school, friends and the Marauders all fighting for a slice of her attention. Throw a mysterious book in the mix, and we've got ourselves a story.
1. Prologue

I glanced at the photos again. Comparing the two you would never even know… In the first moving photograph, you could see me smiling and laughing, my bright red hair flying behind me in the sharp autumn wind. Charlotte stood beside me, her short black pixie haircut standing out against her pale white skin. Her chocolate brown eyes glowed. Merlin, I missed her. What was I thinking? Every so often, (but more often when I looked at the photos) I would feel a heart-wrenching pang of regret. Why did this have to happen to _me_? I shook my head, a tear forming in the corner of my eye.

Next to Charlotte was Nico. Her name was actually Nicole, but she hated it. She had insisted on being called Nico ever since the day I met her. I still remember that day. It wasn't too hard to forget- falling down the stairs _while _they were moving hurt! However masculine and odd, the name had stuck. It suited her. Though you wouldn't think it would just by looking at her. Her tousles of soft blond hair and blue eyes surrounded by a thick layer of mascara-coated eyelashes didn't exactly spell tomboy. A tomboy who loves make-up… ironic, huh? Yes, I have interesting friends…or should I say _had._

I looked away from my bed where the pictures were laying. Glancing around my room, I realized how much of an influence this whole situation had on me. My room, usually spick and span, everything in its place, was the opposite of organized. My bed was torn apart, there were clothes scattered across the floor, candy wrappers littering the few clear places on my desk… In short, it was a disaster. What was I going to do with myself?

Looking down again at the first photo, I felt another sharp stab at my heart. The Marauders. All four of them. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Or as I knew and called them, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettrigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter. There they were, as always, on the scene. Making sure there wasn't a moment of peace and quiet in our lives. I never thought I'd admit to it, but I really, really, genuinely _did _miss them. A sharp intake of breath helped prevent me from bawling my eyes out. I knew it was for the best, but at the same time I couldn't quite understand why I had done it. It made perfect sense, but at the same time, none. My head understood, but my heart was completely out of the loop.

I set down the first picture on my unmade bed. It made me want to cry and have a fit. The second wasn't much better. I turned it over. Suddenly I heard a soft pecking noise at my bedroom window. Turning slowly, tears glistening in my eyes, I looked towards the source of the noise. I let out a sad sigh as I realized it was Craig, Nico's owl. (Yes, she insisted on naming her _owl _Craig_. _I know, I don't understand it either. But that's another story for another time.) I got up from beside the pile of crumpled up bedclothes, and trudged across my room. I flipped the switch to open my window and Craig hopped in. He seemed to be in a happy mood, pecking away at my arm until I agreed to accept the note he was carrying. Tears starting flowing for real when I read the note.

_Lily,_

_Please don't do this. I miss you SOOOO much already and it's only been two weeks. Correction: We ALL miss you. I know I've said this before, but... how can you know for sure that the book tells the truth? This isn't fair, to us or to you. _

_Please. I'm begging you. Come back. _

_ Nico _

I crumpled up the small scrap of paper Nico had written on. Anger filled me up. I had explained this to them before. How could they _still _not understand? It was infuriating. There was no way I was going to send a reply back to her. No matter how long Craig sat there repeatedly sticking his sharp beak into my wrist. It would only make me over think my choice, and make me even more upset than I already was.

The last two weeks had been a blur of sleeping, waking up, getting dressed, eating, helping out at the little stationary store to help pay my tuition, eating and sleeping again. Who knew summer could be so _boring_? But I had refused to let any of my friends come see me. I couldn't. It would only make this whole situation harder. Anyways, I had to get used to being away from them.

I slowly walked over to the full-length mirror hanging on the inside of my closet door. Looking at my reflection I sighed again. Merlin, I have been sighing a lot today. Who was this person looking back at me? With black hair, dark brown eyes, square-framed glasses... Who was the girl in the second picture, sitting stiffly on that old moss-covered rock which held so many memories? Who was that girl who was all alone... A tear ran down my face as I told myself once again that it was me. It was finally official. I was leaving Hogwarts.


	2. Insults, Idiots, and Abandoned Ice Cream

I squinted in the bright sunlight as I chased Nico through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. Charlotte Taylor was panting a few paces behind me. She had never been much of a runner.

"Nico!" I yelled as I leaped at the last minute around a group of eleven-year-old girls who were watching the owls in the window of Eyelops. Where in the world was that lunatic going? She was going to be the cause some injuries here! "At least tell us where you are going!" I choked on a bit of my hair that was flying every which way in the warm summer breeze.

"Hey Evans!" I heard a familiar voice call out to me. Ugh, Potter. I kept on running. "Am I that hideous? You can't even bear to look at me?" his sarcastically offended voice chased after me. I rolled my eyes. I just couldn't get away from that loon could I?

"Lils…" Charlotte coughed from behind me. I turned quickly on my heel towards her, knocking over a pile of cauldrons that were stacked precariously in front of a shop. I couldn't stop fast enough, and I went crashing down with them. Well, at least that's how it started out. I stuck my hands out in front of me to break the fall, when I felt a strong hand grasp onto my upper arm. I was pulled up, away from the pile of pots. A mixture of confusion and relief swam around inside me. I blinked and then looked towards my rescuer. He was tall with dirty blond hair. And what eyes… beautiful and brown… I stared at them, not realizing how foolish I must have looked.

"Are you alright?" his soft chocolaty-velvet voice cut through the buzz of the crowds like butter. I nodded slowly. Not sure I would be able to form comprehensible words. He smirked. I turned and looked at Charlotte, who was practically crawling across the cobblestones towards me. Her gaze shifted up to me, then to the boy, then back to me. I leaned over and helped her up.

"I-can't-run…anymore…" She gasped, grabbing onto my shoulder for support. Nope, all those dreams of winning a marathon Char, down the drain. I grinned. Shaking my head at the thought. I looked up at the boy again. He was watching me carefully. There was something slightly familiar about him. I couldn't place it. It was actually kind of unnerving. I felt a sudden wave of self-consciousness.

The boy gave a small grin. He reached into the front of his dark brown leather jacket and pulled out something. A badly wrapped package. It appeared rectangular under the mass of crumpled brown paper that covered it. A thin white string was tied loosely around it. He held it for a minute, and then stuck his hand out to me. Charlotte and I exchanged confused glances. What the..?

"Take it." he said to me calmly. He smiled again. This guy was too smiley…

"What is it?" I asked him suspiciously. I had heard too many stories about cursed objects to be caught victim to one. But he looked so friendly and nice…

"It's for you." He said quieter this time. The swarms of shoppers looked at us strangely as they walked past. To be honest, we probably looked a bit odd. A redhead girl with an exhausted looking girl hanging off of her shoulder, and a boy shoving a package in the redhead's face. Hmmm, it would make me stop and wonder…

"But what's in it?" Charlotte was staring at me. A look of concern mixed with curiousity lingered amongst the fatigue in her bright blue eyes.

"I was told to give it to you." The boy said. What the hell was his problem? I'm not going to just take an unidentified package from a random stranger! But something in his eyes made me _want _to take it from him, like it would be helping him in some way if I did…it was almost overpowering…

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong person." I finally managed warily. I subconsciously noticed that Charlotte's weight was getting heavier on my shoulder. "Anyways, I've got to run. Looking for a friend." I started to walk away, half expecting him to grab my arm again. But this time to stop me from getting away. Surprisingly he didn't. Hmm, guess he really did have the wrong person then.

A slight moan reminded me that Charlotte was still struggling a few paces behind. I had kind of shaken her off without thinking when I made a get away from the guy.

"Lilyyyyyy…" she groaned. I turned to help her. I couldn't stop myself from looking back towards the boy. He was gone! That was fast. He was standing there not ten seconds ago…

I grabbed Charlotte's arm and flung it over my shoulder to support her.

"Wow, Char… you walk often?" I teased her, after a couple minutes of waddling through the street at an inordinately slow speed. I also really needed something to distract me from that boy…

"I-think-I…sprained my-ankle…" she sputtered. I laughed. No, don't take that the wrong way. Please. I'm not laughing because of her misfortune, or because she got hurt, it's just a very "Charlotte" thing to do…run for four steps and "sprain" her ankle. I shook my head, smiling. I think I heard her stifle a giggle as well. Sprained your ankle my arse, Charlotte Taylor….

"Where in Godric's name would she have gone?" We had travelled through the alley twice now, and still hadn't found Nico.

"I swear, when we find her, she'll regret ever inviting me to stay over at her place…" Charlotte muttered moodily. She walked right into me, as I had stopped in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

"I'm tired of walking. Let's go in." I suggested. I was in an ice-creamy sort of mood anyhow, and I desperately needed to sit down. Walking with the weight of two people on your shoulders (literally) got tiring! Charlotte looked undoubtedly grateful. I took that as an "Okay, let's go in." I pushed the door open and was greeted by a chorus of sounds. The bell attached to the top of the door was the most pleasant. Unfortunately, it was quickly followed by a long, drawn out belch and a greeting. Godric, I regretted this choice to come in already.

"Hey, Evans! You done training for the marathon?" James Potter lounged at the largest table in the place, his back against the front window. How had I not seen him before I walked in? Sirius Black sat beside him, looking awfully happy about something. Something told me it was him the burp came from. Gross. Just gross.

"Shut it, Potter." I snapped back. He looked surprised at the venom in my voice. I dropped Charlotte off at the nearest chair, and walked over to the counter. Unfortunately, Potter wasn't finished. I was just about to order myself a double scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, when he attacked me from behind.

"Someone's feisty." He whispered in my ear. I jumped, knocking over a vase of roses. Merlin, I was clumsy today! I elbowed Potter in the gut without even turning around.

"Ooooh... someone have a bad summer? Or are you so mesmerized by my astonishing good looks that you just can't speak?" That prat!

"Someone's full of himself now isn't he?" I replied, passing a handful of sickles over to Florean.

"Well, you know what they say! When you've got it, flaunt it!"

It really was too bad that Potter wasn't actually all that bad looking. It really made it harder to hate him. Godric, did I actually just think that? I take that back. He's hideous. I turned around with my ice cream and found Charlotte sitting at the table with Sirius. I started towards her, we could go find a table at some other café, I wasn't in the mood to be pestered at the moment. Not that I really ever _was_ in the mood for Potter…

"So I noticed you talking to a guy out there earlier..." Sirius piped up as I walked over, Potter at my heels.

"Evans? Talking to a _guy?_" Potter grinned at me, sarcasm visible plainly across his slap-worthy face. "Good one Padfoot!" He shook his head.

"Oh no, you must be mistaken. I make an effort to avoid talking to guys." I smiled darkly, nodding. "Instead I just come and talk to you two!" I paused to watch the smirks slowly slide off of their faces. "It also comforts me to know that I'm not the only one who'll never find a prince charming…" Charlotte burst into laughter at that. I looked back at Potter, and didn't like the look I saw plastered on his face.

I pulled my wand out from the pocket of my dark wash skinny jeans for precaution. Potter laughed haughtily. Looking surprisingly unafraid of me with my wand. Which was strange, because I'd shown him a thing or two about hexes just last year… he didn't seem too excited about the sight of me with a wand back then. He looked almost bored now…

"Aww, how sweet of you!" Potter swooned. Wow, I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction… No comebacks? Had he matured over the summer? Nahh, not possible… "You haven't seen us _all _summer, and you've missed us! How cute of you to come find us! Even if it _was _after finally finding out that you are socially and romantically inept!" There's the crap I was waiting for. He ran his hand through his messy black hair. Godric, I hated when he did that. Just because the whole female population at Hogwarts worshipped at your feet, didn't mean you should act like a self-absorbed arse.

"Get your stupid face out of here Potter." I spat. "And here I was, thinking maybe you'd matured over the holidays!"

"For someone who came looking for _us_, you seem awfully tense…" Potter put his arm around my shoulder. I winced. "And for the record, you're no less uptight than you were two months ago…"

"Touché." Sirius laughed from his seat across from Charlotte.

"Maybe a nice snog or two would calm your nerves a bit." Potter added. I shook his arm off my shoulder and slapped him across the face. Merlin, it felt good to do that again. I can't deny that two months without seeing that face had been good, but I had missed beating the mickey out of it. A grin crept up unexpectedly on me. I had shut him up for a minute at least.

"Go out with me." Potter said simply, rubbing his cheek where my hand had struck him.

"I slap you, and that's the first response you can think of?" I scoffed.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said happily. "Alright, I'll pick you up at eight! How's dinner and a broom ride over London?"

"Don't make me slap you again you arrogant prat."

"You still haven't said no…" He smirked. That egotistical nightmare.

"Go snog McGonagall." Sirius and Charlotte burst out laughing at that.

"I'd love to, but I'm still waiting for you to answer my question." He flashed me a toothy grin. "Go out with me, Evans."

"If you ask me one more time I'll yank your tongue out and stuff it up your-"

"That wasn't a question. It was an order. C'mon, you know you want to!" At this point Sirius had fallen off of his chair and was holding onto the table leg for support. The laughter was apparently unbearable.

"Well isn't that unfortunate. I pride myself in _not _falling into peer pressure."

"Go out with me."

"Not on your life."

"So if I killed myself, and then asked you, you'd say yes?"

"Nahh, I only date boys."

"Oooh, that was cold!" A new voice rang out in the ice cream shop. Only now did I notice that the whole parlour was silent, captivated by our banter. I whipped around, away from Potter, to see Remus Lupin. He was accompanied by a familiar, watery-eyed boy; Peter Pettigrew.

"Hey Moony!" Godric, not those stupid Marauder nicknames again…Sirius had climbed up from under the table, and was now leaning lazily against the window. "Did you finish them?"

"Finish what?" I snapped before Remus could answer. I looked quickly between him and Potter, appalled that Remus would get involved in one of their pranks. Usually he stayed out of them, or tried to stop them… but he never encouraged them…

"Hey Lily." Remus replied softly, giving me that smile I knew so well. Godric, it really _was _him. The one Marauder who I actually got along with…most of the time at least. I was starting to think (and hope…) they had dressed up someone like the Remus I knew to trick me into believing he approved of their pranks. This was insane.

"What did you do?" Charlotte asked again, looking the complete embodiment of what I was feeling. At least the curiosity bit. As much as I hated and didn't want to admit it, I did sort of… _want _to know what they were up to… and not just to rat them out… some of their ideas _were _pretty ingenious…

"Ahh, Taylor, Evans… you see, this is where it gets interesting." Potter drawled. He came up in between us and I grimaced as he flung his arms around us.

"Well?" Charlotte repeated.

"I'd love to tell you, _really_. But I just don't think I could trust that sassy redhead over there to not rat me out!" He pointed at me.

"That's it Potter, spill it or _I'll _rat you out." Charlotte was backing me up now. That's a first; usually she's the quiet one. It's Nico who would do any backing up out of the two of them. Even the Marauder's seemed surprised at her debut.

"I'd rat you out anyways. Even if you didn't do something so obviously illegal…" I muttered under my breath.

"What's that Evans?" Sirius nudged me. "Don't want to give the customers here any ideas about our criminal status, do you?" He tilted his head to the rest of the shop who was still half-listening to our conversation.

"I'll tell you if you go out with me." Potter directed at me hopefully, before I could reply at just how much I _would _enjoy telling the shop of their many previous mischiefs.

"You really have no idea how desperate you sound, do you?" I snapped.

"You really have no idea how insanely batty _you_ sound, do you?" He retorted. "I mean, who wouldn't want to go out with this?" He laughed. How much more vain could he get? I wasn't in the mood to find out.

"Come on Char, we still haven't found Nico." I grabbed her arm, and pulled her away from them, abandoning my untouched ice cream.

"Oh, looks like someone's run out of comebacks!" Sirius chuckled warmly, a foolish grin plastered across his mischievous face. I walked past him, with my best death glare. I went to take another step, and suddenly without warning, the light blue floor tiles of the ice cream shop flew up into my line of vision. I wasn't even sure how it happened until Charlotte got up from where she had fallen beside me, and screamed something vulgar at Peter, who had apparently tripped us. Godric, good on you girl! Ate some backbone for breakfast or something? This totally wasn't the Charlotte I remember…She was never this… outspoken!

Potter and Sirius were practically rolling on the floor in fits of laughter. I took this exceptionally well-timed opportunity, and gave them both a good kick in the side.

"Oh, looks like someone's run out of self dignity!" I said happily. "Oh, wait. You never had any in the first place…"

With that we walked out of the shop. Leaving the Marauders chucking an assortment of insults at our retreating backs. Merlin! It was only the first time I'd seen those four after the holidays, and I already couldn't stand to be anywhere near them. They'd already made me look like an idiot. And I thought this year was going to be more bearable…


End file.
